CSIR Biosciences: Natural Products and Agroprocessing South Africa s indigenous biodiversity and knowledge as sources of new natural ingredients for food, nutrition and wellness Nomusa Dlamini Contributors: Tshidi Moroka Sechaba Bareesteng
Presentation Outline Brief overview of CSIR CSIR Research Impact Areas Natural Products and Agroprocessing Platform Strategy South Africa s plant biodiversity Tapping into South Africa s plant biodiversity Research and Innovation Process: Value addition Value addition towards marketable products Research on Food, Nutrition and Wellness Research findings Regulations on utilising South Africa s biodiversity 2
The CSIR at a glance The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is a science council, classified as a national government business enterprise CSIR is a mandate driven organisation CSIR Biosciences is an Operating Unit contributes to a sustainable South African bioeconomy through development of health, agricultural and industrial biotechnology-based technology solutions years in 2014 total staff total in SET base Johannesburg Port Elizabeth Cape Town Stellenbosch Pretoria Durban doctoral qualifications 3 total operating income
CSIR research impact areas Energy Health Natural environment Defence & security CSIR Mandate Industry Built environment
Natural Products and Agroprocessing Platform Aim: Beneficiate South Africa s natural biodiversity derived from plants and indigenous knowledge to grow the economy by developing novel foods, additives, herbal and cosmetic ingredients for industrial uptake 5 Competitive Positioning The Platform has access to over 30 000 plant extracts Establish the library of compounds Provide companies with pure natural compounds to screen for efficacy Compound structures identified Screen for new products Development of new natural ingredients ready for commercialisation Licensed to industry Human Capacity development
South Africa s Plant biodiversity 24 000 indigenous plant species High endemism, 10% world s plants Unique Biomes Mainly unexplored e.g. source of natural medicines, nutraceuticals and food ingredients Many more plants are used as food 6 Marula (Sclerocarya birrea) fruits
Tapping into South Africa s indigenous plants biodiversity for food, nutrition and wellness ingredients South African biodiversity can be used to help reduce malnutrition Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is a serious health problem in South Africa Source of new food ingredients that have health benefits Multidisciplinary collaborations Department of Science and Technology: Indigenous knowledge systems Agricultural Research Council (ARC): Develop cultivation methods CSIR develops value chain to commercialisation Universities: human capacity development Communities 7
The Research and Innovation process Biodiversity Scientific innovation Indigenous Knowledge 8
Value addition towards marketable products Natural Product Chemistry Toll Manufacture Marketing Discovery Research Process development Technology demonstration Discovery Research Pre-clinical Prototyping Agri-Food Technology POC Proof of Concept 9 Process Design Process Optimization Product Development and Efficacy Techno- Economic Assessment Technology Packaging Market
History of Food research at CSIR based on Biodiversity 1963-1971 National Food Research Institute (NFRI) of CSIR launched a project to investigate foods from the veld Nutritional value and long term toxicity studies was the focus of study Prepared several hundreds of extracts of the plants In vivo toxicity studies, nutritional analysis Several publications/books Archival system for data 10
Research in Food, Nutrition and Wellness: Indigenous leafy vegetables African leafy vegetables have long been known in South African rural communities as essential foods that are consumed with carbohydrate staples 11 Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is a serious health problem in South Africa These leafy vegetables have high nutritional value that could play an important role in the prevention of malnutrition Unlike other vegetables and legumes, some of these indigenous food plants have never been produced at a commercial scale
Research Approaches Journals, books ID ind. Plants used as foods in communities Collection and identification Literature review Research and Development Farmers and communities Product Development Processing Supply of raw material 12
Food and Nutracetical Ingredient Product Development Approaches Popularisation vegetable Fresh produce markets, supermarket Food processing companies eg Nestle Nutraceutical and functional food Food ingredients, Food supplements Replace with food 13 Pharmaceutical companies, speciality food processing
Nutrient content of indigenous leafy vegetables The leafy vegetables have been analysed for their nutrient and phytochemical content, and compared with other vegetables. 14 Proximate composition, expressed on dry basis *One serving is approximately 30 g, dry basis
Phytochemicals in Leafy vegetables Leafy vegetable Carotenoids (mg/100 g, dry basis) Flavonoids (mg/100 g, dry basis) ABTS Antioxidant activity (µmol Trolox equivalent/ g Beta Lutein Rutin carotene C. gynandra 35 51 1 028 743 A. cruentus 23.5 42 768 250 V. unguiculata 27 45 18.6 738 Carotenoids are important as vitamin A precursors Carotenoids also have health promoting effects as nutraceuticals antioxidants quench free radicals, prevent cancer, lutein promotes eye health Flavonoids have been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties 15
From Plant Material to Ingredient 16
Application examples of some indigenous leafy vegetables like Cleome and Cow pea leaves in food products
Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing Promotion of fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilisation of biodiversity and associated indigenous knowledge, led to the adoption of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization to the CBD in Nagoya, Japan in 2010 Primary objectives: Fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilisation of genetic resources and indigenous knowledge Appropriate access to genetic resources Transfer of technologies from genetic resources and associated indigenous knowledge to advance fair and equitable benefit sharing Protection of indigenous knowledge and the rights of the holders of indigenous knowledge 18 SA ratified to the Protocol on 10 January 2013 (Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing, 2010, www.cbd.int)
National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act of 2004 This is a Legislation requiring prior informed consent and benefit sharing agreements with, indigenous communities which contribute to research and agroprocessing Compliance with the legislation is by submitting a notification and bioprospecting permit application with the intension to do basic research and commercialise. Applications may only be submitted by South African research institutions or companies or by foreign entities jointly with South African persons or companies The Act was amended in 2010 to make a distinction between: bioprospecting discovery phase (basic research) and commercial phase Recognition of the practitioners as owners of indigenous knowledge 19 CSIR 2015
Bioprospecting, Access and Benefit Sharing Regulations of 2008 Basic research: Exploratory phase and ultimate findings of the scientific research are often unknown Prior informed consent Submitting the notification form to the Department of Environmental Affairs Researchers are required by the Biodiversity Act to notify the Minister of Environmental Affairs about the research Commercialisation phase: Filing of intellectual property (IP) / patent application Obtaining or transfer of IP and other rights Commencement of clinical trials and product development, including market research, multiplication of genetic resources through cultivation, propagation, or cloning to develop and produce medicines, industrial enzymes, food and cosmetic ingredients Researchers are required to apply for bioprospecting permit 20 CSIR 2015
What we have achieved Historic research on food plants of SA and interaction with industry and communities Food product development from indigenous biodiversity Mopani worm products Sugar replacer (Monatin) Meal replacers Instant grain products (quick cooking products) Health Drink to alleviate malnutrition Chip Dips Beverages (malt, non alcoholic) Equipment development and technology improvements for industry microwave technologies for improved food safety egg pasturiser protein based edible coating for extending shelf life of fruits Contributed to SABS regulation standards for food products 21
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